Improvement in electro-magnets for oil-wells



M. KNICKERBOCKER.

Electro Magnet. No. 51,729. Patented Dec. 26,1865.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IMPROVEMENT IN ELECTFlO-MAGNETS FOR OlL=-\NELLS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 51,729, dated December'26, 1865.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MrLLrs KNIOKERBOCK- ER, of New Lenox, in the countyof Will and State of Illinois, have invented a new and ImprovedElectro-Magnetic Tool and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable othersskilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being bad to theaccompanyingdrawings ,forming part of this specification.

In the sinking of oil or other deep wells portions of the drill-rod arebroken off, which, remaining in the bottom of the well, necessarily andseriously interfere with and prolong the boring of the same, requiringoftentimes several days to thoroughly overcome their resistance to theprogress of the drill. The expense thus incurred of course is not onlylarge, but the delay is the cause ofmuch annoyance and vexation to-theparties interested, and therefore the importance of easily and readilyremoving such broken or loose pieces of steel or iron from the well isso manifest to all interested in and conversant with the subject ofsinking wells of all descriptions as to need no particular mentionherein, the object of the present invention being to provide a toolsimple and cheap in construction and operation, by means of which theycan be so removed, it consisting in the use of an elect-ro-magnetsuitably arranged and constructed therefor, as will be presentlyexplained, reference being had to the accompanying plate of drawings, ofwhich- Figure 1 is a side View of an electro-magnet arranged andconstructed for the purpose before stated; and Fig. 2 atransversesection,taken in the plane of the line a a, Fig. 1.

a a in the drawings represent an electromagnet having its two legs b bhinged or jointed together at their upper ends, 0 0, so as to allowtheir magnetic ends cl d to be opened from or closed upon each other atpleasure. Around and for the whole length, or nearly so, of the straightportions f f of each leg of the magnet is wound a close coil of wire, 9g, made of a suitable metal for conducting the electric fluid, the upperends of which coils are connected with an electric battery in theordinary manner, the whole surface and length of the said coils of wirebeing coated with guttapercha or any other suitable insulating medium orsubstance, and protected from injury by means of an outer casing, m,entirely surrounding them, made, also, of any suitable metal ormaterial.

To and in each pole of the magnet, and projecting therefromin thedirection of its length, and secured or fixed in any proper manner, aretwo similar grab-irons or rods, a 12, having at or near their outerends, 0 0, upon and in their sides facing each other, a similarswingingjaw, 12, arranged in a peculiar manner, and operating as will behereinafter explained.

Extending across and from one pole to another (it being secured at oneend by a spring, 9', to one of the same) is a fastening rack-bar orarmature, s, with the teeth of which, when an electric current ispassing through the magnet, the fixed sharp edge or tooth t of one ofthe legs engages, thus securely holding the poles together or inposition, it disconnecting therefrom when the current is stopped throughthe elasticity of its spring 1', as is evident.

Having thus in detail described the manner in which the electro-magnetis constructed, I will now proceed to explain the manner in which itoperates and is used for extracting pieces of steel and iron from deepwells.

The magnet, with its wire disconnected from the electric battery, isfirst lowered until it has reached, or nearly so, the bottom of thewell, a rope or any other suitable device being properly connectedtherewith for the purpose, when the magnetic wires are connected withthe electric battery, and thus a strong magnetic attraction generatedand imparted to the poles of the magnet, drawing them together andfirmly nipping or grasping any material or substance which may bebetween its two grabirons. The magnet is then raised, and when at thetop of the well the wire is disconnected from the battery, thusreleasing its gripe upon the material, which can be readily removed.

From the above description itis evident that a strong and powerfulpressure "can thus be brought to bear upon any material inclosed betweenor grasped by the grab-irons, the advantages of which are manifest.

In lieu of using the grab-irons, a simple mag net may be used, coveredand protected as before described, for the extraction and removal 'netat or near their poles, the object of which of small particles, it beingnecessary that the coil of each leg should be covered with some suitablecasing to protect it from injury as the magnet is lowered and raised inthe well.

The swinging jaws of the grab-irons, in case of any strong resistance tothe raising of the metal strap or portion of a tube or any other articlewhich may be in the bottom of the well, and inclosed in and between thetwo grabirons, it is evident from their arrangement that any tendency ofit to slip out of thc irons causes the j aws to more tightly grasp thesame a very important advantage.

3 is an endless india-rubber elastic band, placed around and about thelegs of the magis to cause the poles to be kept in contact with eachother, while at the same time the grabirons are allowed to swing openand embrace the object.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent The00mblllfltlOll,lVlth an electro-magnethavin g its legs protected by anysuitable covering, of the grab-irons n n, the whole being constructed,arranged, and operated substantially in the manner described and for thepurpose specified.

The above specification of my invention signed by me this 19th day ofJune, A.D.1865.

MILLIS KNIGKEEBOOKEB. Witnesses ALBERT W. BROWN, 0. L. TOPLIFFF

